WORTH NOTING; We Love You, Now Beat It

By ROBERT STRAUSS

Published: March 19, 2006

You won't find him in anybody's corner. Oddly enough, you will find his name where Mississippi Avenue meets the Boardwalk in Atlantic City.

Last Monday, an array of guests from Mayor Robert W. Levy to the state boxing commissioner, Larry Hazzard, sang the praises of Don King, the 74-year-old boxing promoter who was in town for the naming of Don King Plaza.

Atlantic City has been the recipient of numerous kindnesses bestowed by Mr. King, who comes to Atlantic City before Thanksgiving each year to give turkeys to poor families. In addition, he donates to a fund for workers who were injured in the collapse of a parking garage under construction in 2003 as well as education outreach efforts.

Still, Mr. King is not allowed to promote fights at the city's casinos because he has been refused a license. The New Jersey Casino Control Commission suspended Mr. King last April because it was frustrated with him for applying for a casino license several times, staging fights with a temporary waiver, then withdrawing his application when asked about his association with Robert W. Lee Sr.

Mr. Lee, a former head of the International Boxing Federation, was convicted in 2000 in a bribery scandal in which Mr. King was named as an unindicted co-conspirator.

Mr. King says he still wants to promote fights in Atlantic City, and he is being supported by Mayor Levy and Mr. Hazzard. ''Don King was never indicted," Mr. Hazzard said. ''The F.B.I. questioned Don King, they went into his office, they confiscated his computers and they were satisfied with what they found.''

Mr. King has yet to submit a new application. As for naming the plaza, he called the honor ''a momentous occasion, and one I'm humbly grateful for.'' ROBERT STRAUSS